Why It's Important To Properly Dispose Water After Floor Waxing
At one time floors were actually coated with wax, literally. Nowadays manufacturers create floor finishes with polymers. In commercial office space floor finish is mostly used on vinyl flooring or what is commonly referred to as VCT.
These are the 12 by 12 squares you often see in office buildings, restaurants and retail. With technology there is a lot more options and types of vinyl flooring but today we are going to focus on VCT. This is common especially in restrooms, cafeterias and hallways. We do see it once in a while in office cubicle and private office areas but is very popular in high traffic areas because of its durability and low cost.
Removing Old Floor Finish or Wax
Most commercial cleaning services start this process by removing all or most old floor finish (wax) and have a completely clean and dry floor.
Finish is applied in a liquid form and then over time of 20 minutes to an hour hardens to the look you see. Some floor finishes have tiny pieces of metal in them, this might sound weird but is done to create a better bond and therefore, harder finish.
WHY would a building manager or owner care about old floor finish?
When removing old floor finish its critical to dispose of the waste water properly in a sink that connects to a sanitary sewer. These tiny bits of metal are hazardous and cannot be dumped into drinking water or street sewers, rain run off sewers before being processed.
This is a topic most building owners and managers probably wouldn’t think about but can be a major fine from the EPA or various local government agencies.
Our recommendation is to always ask what type of floor finish the cleaning service is using before starting a strip and waxing project and how they plan to dispose of the waste water after the job is completed.
